Bleacher Report - San Diego

Chargers Pummel Chiefs: But Did We Learn Anything?

Paul Preibisius — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 17:24:29 -0500

The San Diego Chargers pounded the Kansas City Chiefs 43-14 in what was considered a potential trap game after the Chiefs' upset of the Pittsburgh Steelers last week. That the Chargers won to maintain a one game edge over a Broncos team that finally halted its losing streak is good. That the Chargers won convincingly when concerns over "trap" potential and a letdown were prevalent was also good. With that said, how much does San Diego take away from this game?

They were expected to win. This was a divisional home game against a team looking towards a top five draft pick. They have now defeated the Chiefs by a combined total of 80-21, a potent series blowout. The Chiefs also gave San Diego too many opportunities for the game to be anything but a blowout. Fumbled quasi-throws, bad snaps, fumbles, interceptions; Kansas City did everything in its power to lose this game.

San Diego had no complaints.

So where does the team stand? Beyond doing what was expected, what did the actual flow of the game tell?

LaDainian Tomlinson proved that he is still a bit of a spark away, with 39 yards on 13 carries, including a goal-line fumble. He didn't have to do much, but it was still another day of three yards or less per carry. He doesn't need over four a game anymore, but at least three-and-a-half would make me feel more comfortable.

Mike Tolbert, on the other hand, followed up his massive 8.3 yard per carry garbage spectacular with another solid performance (albeit on only four carries) for 4.8 yards per carry.

With Darren Sproles proving to be more of a receiver than a dual-purpose threat on offense (in the five games with more than five carries, he has never averaged better than 2.9 yards a carry this year), why not give him the ball a couple of times a game in non-garbage situations, especially short-yardage? He is a player that can push the chains and fall forward. The Chargers should give Sproles a few more carries in regular season games and see if the trend continues into non-garbage play. Worst-case scenario is that it doesn't, and you revert to the current situation.

We also learned that the vertical passing game is Antonio Gates' best friend. With Floyd and Jackson running down field, Gates was left with linebackers on him and responded with a monster day (take away the pass interference and it's eight grabs for over 120 yards and three touchdowns). Big days from Gates will force a safety to stay closer, opening up Jackson and Floyd on deep routes. If they stay true to defending the deep ball, Gates can eat teams alive underneath.

Finally, Nate Kaeding's 55-yard field goal is big. As a guy with a highly accurate leg that has occasionally missed big kicks, this could be an important confidence boost going into the playoffs. That ball would have made it from 60. As good as he is, he still needs to hit one of those big, defining clutch kicks to make a name for himself and finish erasing the thoughts of John Carney

On the defensive side of the football, we have both good and bad.

Fourteen points is not much, but with all of the Chiefs' miscues, that could have easily been lower. Cassel was a respectable 19-31 for 178 yards, with a touchdown and a pick. The Chiefs (mostly via Jamaal Charles) added themselves to the ever-growing list of teams that have put over 100 yards on the ground against San Diego. Any time the opposition's primary ball carrier averages well over six yards per carry, that is a problem.

Also a bit of a worry was the inability to finish a sack. The team got great penetration and forced bad throws, made Cassel scamper, and even recorded a safety. But they continually failed to bring him down. San Diego should have seen about three sacks in the box score, but the big quarterback was solid and mobile enough to elude defenders.

The Chargers are a team on a roll, and they should be congratulated on this latest victory. A few strides were made (watching Tolbert, Kaeding's big kick) but ultimately I think this was more about Kansas City than San Diego. Anything but the worst of days would have been a blowout with the number of Chiefs mistakes, and one cannot expect a team like Dallas or Cincinnati to play that poorly.

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Everth Cabrera: An Early 2010 Fantasy Baseball Projection

Eric Stashin — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 07:14:48 -0500

Young shortstops are getting a lot of focus these days, but the names generally mentioned are Alcides Escobar and Elvis Andrus. There’s a third speedster who belongs to be included in that group, the Padres’ Everth Cabrera.

Before we get into too much detail, let’s take a look at his line from last season:

377 At Bats
.255 Batting Average (96 Hits)
2 Home Runs
31 RBI
59 Runs
25 Stolen Bases
.342 On Base Percentage
.361 Slugging Percentage
.328 Batting Average on Balls in Play

Prior to 2009, Cabrera never played above Single-A. Having been selected as the third overall pick in the 2008 Rule V Draft (out of the Colorado Rockies system), the Padres had no choice but to keep him on the Major League roster (though nine stolen bases during Spring Training helped make their decision) or offer him back.

He struggled with injuries a bit, having surgery on his hand in April, limiting him to just 377 AB on the season. When he was healthy, he showed the world just how much speed he had, which shouldn’t have been any surprise. In 2008 he stole 73 bases at Single-A, so how fast he is should not be in question.

He had 25 SB last season, placing him in the top 30. That says a lot, considering the leap he took along with the time he missed. With a year of experience under his belt (and hopefully a full year’s health), there really is no telling how many SBs he could get.

He struggled with his average, posting a .255 mark, but it’s not because of his eye at the plate. He walked 10.9 percent of the time, so if he continues to mature and learn to simply make contact, his speed will certainly allow him to carry a significantly above average BABIP. It’s not going to happen all at once, but he should take a step forward in 2010.

The real advantage he has over Andrus and Escobar is that he plays for what is a terrible offensive team. They aren’t expected to go very far, so they can afford to show more patience and allow him to develop at the top of the order. He got 234 at bats in the leadoff spot last season, and there’s no reason to think that he won’t see the majority of his at bats in that slot once again.

With Adrian Gonzalez and Kevin Kouzmanoff lined up behind him, he should get an opportunity to score plenty of runs.

With that said, let’s take a look at what I’d project him for in 2010:

.270 (135-500), 3 HR, 40 RBI, 90 R, 47 SB, .328 BABIP, .368 OBP, .378 SLG

As you can see, I’m projecting him to be a high speed, pretty good runs option, while not hurting you in the average department. He’s going to have some highs and some lows, but what he should continue to get is an opportunity, no matter what happens.

That’s just as important as anything else for a young player and should continue to allow him to develop into one of the elite stolen base threats in the league.

What do you think of him? Is he going to be able to steal that many bases in 2010? Hit for a better average?

THIS ARTICLE IS ALSO FEATURED ON WWW.ROTOPROFESSOR.COM

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Charged Up: Kansas City's Blunders Mean Another Win, San Diego May Run Table

Eric Gomez — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 22:20:31 -0500

So maybe Thanksgiving night was made a little less joyful by the Broncos taking down a quixotic Giants team (but I guess that's what you can expect when Kevin Gilbride is your offensive coordinator), but I'm betting the smile came back on everyone's face when they were reminded San Diego would face the Chiefs on Sunday.

Despite the constant warnings by the "experts" of a potential trap game (AKA "Sleeper game" or "Letdown game"), the Chargers came out firing and put the contest out of reach early.

You know it's going good when people are still smiling moments after LaDainian Tomlinson fumbles at the goal line (LT'S BACK!!!!!!!!!! version 4.0).

A plethora of big plays from a myriad of guys today. That's two big words in one sentence, people (thanks for my new thesaurus, grandma).

Paul Oliver on that crazy Cassel fumble, Larry English ripping a loose ball from Cassel, Malcom Floyd making a big catch at the goal line (presumably while Cassel watched), Antonio Gates , Philip River s , LT, et al.

However, the unquestioned MVP for the Chargers was Kansas City Chiefs Rudy Niswanger , whose two errant snaps meant two turnovers on a fumble and a failed fourth-down play.

He's definitely no David Binn .

Speaking of David, he played in his 250th game for the franchise this Sunday. Seriously, give this guy a medal. He's played here through the likes of Craig Whelihan , Moses Moreno and, yes, Ryan Leaf .

The Chiefs are so bad it defies logic.

Remember last season, when Herm Edwards was still running the show? Sure, they were just as awful, but at least they gave the Chargers a fight in both games.

Year one of KC and Denver's emulation of New England couldn't be going differently, but still, they might want to ask how that process went for Cleveland and the Jets .

Or Notre Dame .

Next week, it's off to Cleveland, where a preliminary forecast shows 38-degree temperatures under a partly cloudy sky.

It'll be interesting to see how the Chargers adjust to the near-freezing temperatures and the Browns def—oh man, I almost got through it, I really did.

There's no way the Chargers lose, barring a cataclysm of JaMarcus Russell -ian proportions.

Which begs the question, with six victories in a row, a manageable schedule down the stretch, and a division rival breathing down their neck, can the Chargers run the table?

Again, with all due respect to mathematicians and those "any given Sunday" guys, it's going to be exceedingly difficult if not impossible for the Browns to beat the Chargers.

After that, it's off to Dallas where the Cowboys are a deceiving 8-3.

I mean, other than Philadelphia and the Atlanta Falcons , they've beat Tampa Bay , Carolina , Kansas City , Seattle , Washington (by a whopping score of 7-6) and Oakland .

Wondering what the combined record of those teams are? 27-50.

Scary.

Cincinnati's probably the toughest game on San Diego's remaining schedule. The Bengals are also 8-3 and playing great football.

However, this is a classic statement game for the Bolts.

If you can't beat a good team on your field in the regular season, how are you going to do the same in the postseason?

Tennessee has been resurgent, but they'll probably be 7-7 by the time they face their Chargers and a very unlikely candidate for the final Wild Card spot.

Some food for thought: The Chargers are 2-0 against Vince Young .

If Cincinnati and the Broncos keep winning, then San Diego will go into their game against Washington with both tie-breakers in hand even if they lose.

That probably means you'll see backups, but are you telling me you don't trust Billy Volek more than Jason Campbell ?

That's what I thought.

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Malcolm Floyd Proving Some Concerns For San Diego Chargers

Paul Preibisius — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 16:59:47 -0500

I think Malcolm Floyd is a great piece of the team, a great deep threat to compliment Vincent Jackson. Unfortunately, back when Chris Chambers was waived, I worried a bit that he was a great No. 3 guy and suited to the role of a true starter.

His best asset is going up for jump balls, using size and a willingness to tangle in order to wrestle the ball away. Going against a nickel back, this is even more of an advantage he can make use of, whereas against good starters they can hinder him a bit more.

He is not a phenomenal route runner, or technically proficient, despite having many years in the team’s system. He is no Braylon Edwards, but drops a few balls that should stick. A defense has to account for him, but not worry the way they do about Anontio Gates or Jackson. Since taking over the starting duties his byline is:

2 catches 9 yards 1 TD

2 catches 64 yards

2 catches 29 yards

3 catches 45 yards

4 catches 38 yards

He needs to show me at least one game before the season is over where he can have a five receptions for 60 yards for me to feel the team does not need to pursue a different guy as the second option. I love the four wideout look of Jackson, a good route running possession guy, Floyd, and Naanee. A No. 5 guy is not necessary with Gates and Darren Sproles.

Some of this is of course opportunity, as Jackson/Gates eat much of the passing game attention, but with the improvement in certain areas where the team won’t need to focus as heartily this offseason as first thought (safety/middle linebacker), I think a true No. 2 guy would be a good option to look into this offseason.

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What CFB Playoffs Can Produce: The Missoula Miracle, The Comeback

Scott Hansen — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 15:29:16 -0500

Reasons Why A College Football Playoff would be the best thing ever for $1,000, Alex.

Buried under over-hyped rivalries on Saturday, the game of the day took place in the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs. Unbeaten Montana was hosting upstart South Dakota State, a program that gave a team such as Minnesota all it wanted in a three-point loss in November.

South Dakota State played a murderous schedule in division formerly known as Division I-AA terms. The running Rabbits played Northern Iowa, losing to BCS candidate Iowa by one point. Then highly-ranked Southern Illinois, who gave Marshall a panic and has past victories over Northern Illinois under its belt.

SDSU’s rival North Dakota State beat Minnesota in the past. These teams are no joke.

These programs are not known for feasting on talent in traditional college football producing hotbeds of Texas, California, and Florida. The same holds true for states like Montana and South Dakota. Division I programs, the ones that play in the Bowl Championship Subdivision, aren’t exactly pounding the pavement in northern states for Big 12 or Big 10 talent.

High school football is high school football. Upper echelon programs miss the boat on players from the Rocky Mountains all the time. These players, under the plentiful scholarship days, would be snapped up by Nebraska or Colorado. Many of the players would eventually find All-Big 8 careers waiting on them upon their arrival for their big chance.

The difference between college football’s big-time of network television and the teams that are hoping for a playoff berth in what used to be I-AA has closed dramatically. Appalachian State proved it over the vaunted Michigan in the past, it wasn’t such an upset and people make it out to be. Players from these smaller schools are drafted into the National Football League all the time, and many have outstanding careers.

South Dakota State’s running Jackrabbits were 8-3 coming into the game against the powerful, juggernaut Grizzles, unbeaten again in 2009. Montana is a two-time national champion, running the gauntlet of the playoffs in 1995 and 2001.

We all remember darling Marshall storming through the I-AA playoffs with the likes of Chad Pennington, Byron Leftwich, and Randy Moss pounding the “little guys”. Ohio State coach Jim Tressel, when he was at Youngstown State winning championships, knows how good Marshall was all too well. The Penguins under Tressel had no answer for Moss and Co.

SDSU came to play in Missoula. Quarterback Thomas O’Brien got the Jackrabbits off to a fast start; tossing two touchdown passes to Colin Cochart for an early 14-0 lead after one quarter of play.

After a SDSU field goal, Montana ripped off 14 unanswered to close the gap in just 27 seconds. After a Chase Reynolds touchdown plunge of one-yard, Andrew Selle’s touchdown strike just 27 seconds later put the Grizzles down just three at 17-14.

O’Brien engineered two touchdown drives and a field goal make before halftime. O’Brien got the party started hitting Cochart for the third time already in the contest before Kyle Minnett scored from one-yard out. Kyle Harris booted his second field goal, this one from 39 yards, and the Jackrabbits had a commanding 34-14 lead in one of the toughest places to play in the country.

SDSU expanded the lead to 41-14 early in the second half. Corey Jeske snapped up a blocked punt in the end zone to give the Jackrabbits a seemingly insurmountable lead of 27 points.

Montana struck back with 6:45 left in the third stanza, with Thomas Brooks-Fletcher scoring from two yards out to bring the Grizzles within 20. Minnett answered by plunging in from one-yard out again, giving SDSU a 48-21 lead with 5:40 left in the third quarter.

It took Montana just 15 seconds to answer. Marc Mariani started to etch his name into the minds of Montana fans for eternity with a 98-yard touchdown off a kickoff return. It was Mariani’s first contribution to the scoreboard on the day, but it’s a name SDSU fans would learn to shake out of future nightmares. A missed point after would leave the score at 48-27, SDSU still a commanding advantage.

In the fourth quarter, Mariani started to chip away at the lead on his own. His 15-yard touchdown grab from Selle on the first play of the fourth quarter brought Montana to within two touchdowns at 48-34. Could Montana embark on the comeback of the ages after being down by almost four touchdowns early in the second half?

Over seven minutes later, Reynolds scored from one-yard out to bring Montana to within striking distance at seven points, 48-41. With 4:11 remaining, Reynolds scored again to tie the game from one-yard out again. The comeback was almost complete.

Then with 1:08 remaining, the impossible was realized. Selle calmly picked out Mariani for the go-ahead score from four yards away to put Montana ahead. The comeback was complete.

With SDSU’s O’Brien pressing for the equalizing touchdown, Severin Campbell picked off O’Brien and hauled it back 32 yards for the touchdown with :45 remaining to put the game out of reach for SDSU.

Montana scored the final 40 points of the game, including 34 points in the fourth quarter alone to complete the comeback for the ages.

Mariani finished with three touchdowns on the day, and ended with 12 receptions for 171 yards and those two huge touchdowns. Selle threw for 309 yards on 27-of-43 passing for three scores.

It’s a game those in Montana will be talking about for years. And it was a day where former Division II power SDSU, just recently up from the third division of college football within the decade, will rue a missed chance to win the holy grail of small-time college football.

A playoff game between Nebraska and Iowa would produce an equal amount of excitement on the field of play. Those two defenses dueling it out on the national stage to advance in the playoffs. It would be a matchup that would set football back 50 years, a defensive struggle, but it’s why those in America’s Heartland would talk about that game for the next two decades.

And that’s what we are missing out on during the Bowl Championship Series era. It’s a sad reality, and the fans are missing out on what could be. Much like SDSU will be for years after their near miss.

College football fans deserve better. Montana and South Dakota State would have never played in 2009 had it not been for a playoff system. And look at the reward?

Answer: This is the reason why college football playoffs would be a huge hit with the fans.

Question: What is the game between Montana and South Dakota State in 2009, Alex.

Correct.

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Ken Caminiti: National League's 1996 MVP

Harold Friend — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 11:00:18 -0500

In 1996, Ken Caminiti had a career year, batting .326, hitting 40 home runs, and batting in 130 runs. Ken had a .408 on base average, slugged .621. and won his second consecutive gold glove.

As a result of his great season, Ken Caminiti was selected the National League's Most Valuable Player by a unanimous vote. It was only the fourth time a National Leaguer won the award unanimously (Orlando Cepeda, 1967, Mike Schmidt, 1980, Jeff Bagwell, 1994).

Ken Caminiti Showed Courage, Determination, and Loyalty

During the 1996 season, and for most his career, Ken Caminiti showed great courage, determination, and team loyalty by overcoming many aliments.

He played most of 1996 with a torn rotator cuff, which was finally repaired at the end of the season.

A game against the New York Mets during August in Monterrey, Mexico exemplified Ken Caminiti's character and courage.

Ken was dehydrated from illness. Before the game, he was given two liters of intravenous fluids, and despite his compromised physical condition, Ken told Padres' manager Bruce Bochy that he was going to play.

The game started, but Ken didn't feel right. Hoping to increase his sugar level, he ate a candy bar. It worked.

In the second inning, Caminiti hit a bases empty home run to put the Padres ahead, 1-0, and with two runners on and two outs in the third, he blasted a three run home run.

Behind the pitching of Joey Hamilton, Dario Veras, and the great Trevor Hoffman, the Padres coasted to an 8-0 victory over New York's other team.

Ken Caminiti Did His Job

After the season, the modest Caminiti, reacted typically when told he had won the MVP award. "I got picked for MVP for doing my job, basically."

Problems

It was not all wine and roses for Ken Caminiti.

In helping the Padres win the 1996 National League Western Division title in 1996, and the National League pennant in 1998, Ken battled alcoholism, became addicted to pain killers, and was troubled by a smokeless tobacco habit.

Ken Caminiti had problems. He also had guts.

A Great Trade for the Padres

The Padres acquired Caminiti's services from the Houston Astros in an 11-player trade in 1994.

With the Astros, Ken never hit more than 18 home runs in a season. In his first full year as a regular, he hit 10 home runs, but he tailed off the following season, hitting only four.

With the Padres, Ken Caminiti became a feared slugger.

Some Great Achievements

No one claims that Ken Caminiti was one of the third base greats, but the only Hall of Fame third basemen who hit as many as 40 home runs in a season are Mike Schmidt and Eddie Mathews, and only Pie Traynor, Freddie Lindstrom, Jimmy Collins, Frank "Home Run" Baker, George Brett and Wade Boggs batted more than .326.

One cannot help but wonder what Ken Caminiti would have achieved if he had been healthier and had played his entire career without needing medical help.

He might have become the Barry Bonds of third basemen.

References:

Ken Caminiti at Baseball-Reference

Ken Caminiti at Baseball Library

By MURRAY CHASS. (1996, November 14). Caminiti Gets M.V.P.; Matt Williams Gets Traded :On a hot day at the hot corner, San Francisco's slugger goes to Cleveland for three players. Caminiti Is M.V.P. and Williams Is Traded. New York Times (1857-Current file),p. B17. Retrieved November 25, 2009, from ProQuest Historical Newspapers The New York Times (1851 - 2006). (Document ID: 115927548).

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San Diego Padres, Dick Enberg Possibly Talking About Return to Booth?

Todd Kaufmann — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 16:48:16 -0500

The San Diego Padres need a change of style in their television booth, a name that could bring the team more notoriety and bring fans back to the team .

According to Tim Sullivan of the San Diego Union Tribune, that name could be Hall of Fame announcer, and San Diego resident, Dick Enberg.

Sullivan writes in his article that Enberg had coffee back in August with Padres President Tom Garfinkel at Harry's Coffee Shop in La Jolla.

When asked about it, Enberg played it down, calling it more of a "flirtation," but told Sullivan “if they're interested, I'm interested,"

San Diego currently has their lead TV man in Mark Neely, currently going into his second year in the Padres' booth. For the Padres to comment on the possibility of bringing in Enberg would be unfair to a guy that's just getting his feet wet with the team.

But, if you're the Padres, how could you not entertain the idea of Enberg being the voice of the team?

They already have long time, and colorful, play-by-play announcer Ted Leitner on the radio side of it, why not add another well known voice on the TV side of things?

Enberg is certainly taking the high road as is the Padres' brass. When reached for comment, team CEO Jeff Moorad told Sullivan,“We're fortunate to have a number of talented broadcasters on television and radio, but in fairness, it's an area of the business that we are currently evaluating.”

Not exactly a denial of interest from the club's top man.

Channel 4 Vice President Craig Nichols told Sullivan the same thing as Moorad.

“All I can say is that there's a new ownership group and they want to sit down and evaluate things and make sure it fits with their vision,” Nichols said.

Again, not exactly a denial that the Padres' ownership group isn't looking to change the team's image.

“I think any announcer that loves baseball would certainly relish the opportunity to be the voice of the team in the town where he resides,” Enberg told Sullivan. “But I'm fully employed by CBS. At this point, it's pie in the sky. . . I think it's inappropriate to make more of it than that now.”

The Padres would be foolish not to be return the flirtations of the long time broadcaster. Adding Dick Enberg would give the Padres a name that would rival long time Los Angeles Dodgers' broadcaster Vin Scully.

It would give San Diego the kind of national attention they've been craving for so long. It would lessen the opinion that no one knows a thing about them, that they're a team that plays in some sleepy little town on the west coast.

But, for now, a flirtatious relationship is all it's going to be.

But once both the Padres and Channel 4 meet, flirting could turn into a full fledged relationship.

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San Diego Padres Notes: Mike Cameron, Kevin Correia, Chase Headley

Todd Kaufmann — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 15:46:55 -0500

With the Winter Meetings just around the corner, the San Diego Padres are in a position to possibly make a few moves to turn this team into a contender in the National League's West Division.

The payroll may not reach more than $40 million next season, but new general manager Jed Hoyer admitted that they may have some wiggle room to sign one or two free agents.

One of those players could be outfielder Mike Cameron, a guy who's already had one stint with the team (2006-07) and was a fan favorite. Bringing him back will definitely give the team more veteran leadership along with second baseman David Eckstein, pitcher Chris Young, and first baseman Adrian Gonzalez.

Cameron hit .255 with 43 home runs and 161 runs batted in during his two seasons with San Diego. The one problem that has been consistent for him has been his numerous strikeouts, totalling 302 while with the Padres.

What he does bring to the table is tremendous speed both in the outfield as well as on the base paths. Cameron showed that off by covering more ground in center field than the Padres had seen in recent memory, making several incredible catches in Petco Park's vast outfield.

Signing Cameron would benefit the Padres in a big way, regardless of his strikeout problems. When he does make contact and when he is on the base paths, he gives the Padres that extra speed threat next to young shortstop Everth Cabrera.

If Cameron is willing to sign a one year deal in the range of $1 to $2 million, it would be a deal the Padres should sign if in fact they are interested in bringing him back.

With Cameron possibly being the only free agent they could sign, the team will turn their attention to the players currently under contract.

Signing Cameron creates a log jam in the outfield that will force San Diego to look at who they currently have on the roster.

San Diego currently has Chase Headley, Kyle Blanks, Tony Gwynn Jr., and Will Venable occupying three outfield positions. Neither Headley nor Blanks are natural outfielders, but both have picked it up with surprising results.

The Padres love what Kyle Blanks, a natural first baseman, brings to the table. The big 6'6" 285 pounder had a rough first half of the season, struggling to the tune of a .159 batting average (7/44) and driving in just three runs.

After the All-Star break, however, the light switch was turned on and Blanks found his stroke. He hit .288 with a .393 on base percentage with ten home runs and 19 runs batted in.

Those numbers will only get better now that Blanks has had a full season under his belt. Knowing that, it could lead the Padres to trade Chase Headley, especially with Kevin Kouzmanoff being the full time third baseman, as he gives the Padres more power than Headley.

That still leaves San Diego with another problem, even if they do trade Chase Headley. Bringing in Cameron as a full-time player means you have Tony Gwynn Jr and Will Venable who have earned their playing time. So what do you do with Kyle Blanks?

Though it's a good problem for this team to have, the Padres' front office would much rather give Blanks the playing time instead of having him split time with Cameron.

Kevin Correia, a guy that became the team ace after the injury to Chris Young and the trading of Jake Peavy, handled the role with finesse.

The 29 year old right-hander finished the 2009 season with a 12-11 record with a 3.91 ERA through 198 innings pitched.

Currently arbitration eligible, Correia could earn a sizable raise from his $750,000 salary. Taking his numbers into consideration, he could be looking at making anywhere between $1.5 million to $2 million next season.

With right-hander Chris Young slated to play the role of the team's ace, Correia most likely will take the second spot in the rotation in front of young pitchers Mat Latos and Clayton Richard.

The Padres used the final month of the season to prove that they could be a force to be reckoned with, winning most of the series they played, including series wins over division rivals in the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Francisco Giants.

Going into 2010, the team will be younger than they have been in years. They'll have more talent in the outfield with Gwynn and Venable. More speed on the base paths with Everth Cabrera. Stronger pitching with Mat Latos and Clayton Richard. Better leadership than years passed with David Eckstein and Adrian Gonzalez. And more power in the lineup with Blanks, Venable and Kouzmanoff.

Though most of the critics will tell you that this team is a few years away from being a contender again, they'll surprise more than just the critics, they'll surprise their own division.

The team may be a little slow out of the blocks, as they've never been a good starter, but once this team turns it on in May, they could quickly run away from the field.

Keep their starters healthy, get the kind of production out of Gonzalez that the team is used to, and let their up and coming young stars show what they can bring to the table.

With the kind of talent this team has from top to bottom, not only will the Padres be a contender in the division, but they'll be in the race all season long.

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Bolts' Remaining Schedule Looking Tougher

AP Wilcox — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 11:12:44 -0500

Five weeks ago, I was thinking how nice it was going to be for the San Diego Chargers after Week 11. Now that they are here, things are looking a little tougher.

The once discounted Chiefs are now looking to tack on six more wins to their current two-game streak and snatch up the last wild-card spot for the playoffs.

Well, maybe not, but they are starting to put things together and are not the walkover that San Diego must have thought they'd be after trouncing them in their last meeting.

Just ask the Steelers. It looks like they overlooked the Chiefs and their playoff hopes now bare the brunt of that mistake.

And what about Cleveland? Well, let's just hope the Chargers don't get too cocky. Let's stick to the tried and true, "any team can beat any team on any given Sunday" rule of thumb with them.

Dallas is a little bit more of an enigma. They play with a lack of poise that belies their 7-3 record.

Even though Dallas is barely beating inferior opponents, they are intent on making the playoffs and the Chargers will play them in the new and improved Texas Stadium. Let's hope that the Bolts aren't too awestruck and that Kaeding and Scifres don't bounce anything off the big screen.

As for Cincinnati, could their recent loss at the hands of the lowly Raiders be a sign of things to come? Could this be the beginning of a spiral back to reality such as Denver is experiencing?

Let's not count on it. This is the team that swept four division matches from Baltimore and Pittsburgh. Both of which beat San Diego earlier this season.

Finally there's Tennessee and Washington. Both of these teams appeared to be walkovers several weeks ago, but both of them have picked up their games since then.

Things are shaping up for San Diego to have a first round bye and home field advantage until at least the AFC Championship game. They can beat every team left on their schedule, but not if they get caught looking to the next game or looking to the playoffs.

Right now, they are the masters of their own destiny.

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Hot Stove Rumors: Adrian Gonzalez the Focus of Padres-White Sox-Angels Talks

Todd Kaufmann — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 11:05:32 -0500

Rumors have been flying about him since the trade deadline last July. Padre fans, as well as the San Diego media, sat on the edge of their seats as the hours and minutes ticked away, wondering if Adrian Gonzalez was about to be traded.

The deadline came, and the news that followed shocked everybody when it was learned that it was Jake Peavy that had been dealt and not Gonzalez.

Now that the offseason is in full swing, the Gonzalez rumors have started to fly once more—though this time they don't involve the Boston Red Sox.

Corey Brock of MLB.com talked about an Internet rumor that came a week ago that might have legs.

According to this rumor, the Padres have been in discussions with the Chicago White Sox and the Los Angeles (don't call me Anaheim) Angels. The deal would send White Sox first baseman Paul Konerko and a handful of prospects from both teams to San Diego.

Where the Angels come in on this deal is not clear, though they will be looking for a DH once outfielder Vladimir Guerrero hits free agency after this season. They could find that DH in Juan Rivera, opting to keep Gonzalez and his Gold Glove defense at first base.

As for Gonzalez himself, he seems to think that he's in a good position whatever happens.

"If I get to stay here with the Padres and stay in my hometown and live here at home and be with these great fans and great city, then I'm in a winning situation," he told Brock. "If I end up getting traded, I'm getting traded to a team that more than likely will be in the playoffs and will be contending for a World Series title."

There's been no word out of the Padres' camp of the validity of the rumor, though the team has been known to be quiet about potential trades. That was evident when Peavy was traded, as there were no rumors, or any talk at all, that there could be a trade in the works for the right-hander.

The Padres are in the driver's seat with any deal that they are approached with. They are in no way obligated to trade their star first baseman, and they have no problem hanging on to him and possibly working on a long-term extension.

Don't count out the Boston Red Sox in any deal. They made their interest known prior to the deadline last year, and there's no doubt they'll have it on their mind when the Winter Meetings get underway on Dec. 7.

For San Diego, they would have to sell their fans on the players they get in return if they were to trade Gonzalez, the current face of the franchise, especially after the heat the team took after not re-signing Trevor Hoffman and trading Jake Peavy—neither of which went over real well with the Padre fans.

If a deal is made, the Padres would have to be absolutely overwhelmed with the players they'd be getting in return. It's the exact reason a deal wasn't struck before the deadline last season because San Diego wasn't getting back what they wanted.

With Kevin Towers no longer the general manager and Jed Hoyer stepping into his spot, there's no telling what kind of package the new regime will be looking for. One thing is for sure: The team will be all too happy to have Gonzalez on their Opening Day roster.

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San Diego-Denver: The Bermuda Triangle of the West

Erwin Mendoza — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 03:23:28 -0500

Which was more spectacular last night: The San Diego Chargers on both sides of the ball, or the implosion of the Denver Broncos?

Denver, CO seems to be not the kryptonite to San Diego, but the Bermuda Triangle. For example: During the 163rd game of the 2007 MLB season, Matt Holliday and company sent the Padres home in a heartbreaking loss and into rebuilding seasons. Example No. 2: In the 2008 NFL season, the infamous Hochuli game set the tone of let down for the rest of the season. Somehow, San Diego always loses something in Denver.

I guess times are different.

Josh McDaniels' Broncos were, like Twilight backpacks, the hottest thing at the beginning of the 2009 season, starting 6-0 with their last victory on Monday night at Jack Murphy Field.

Then they entered the bye week.

I think at that point McDaniels called Norv Turner on Halloween and asked, "Who scares you more? Orton, Simms, or the ghost of John Elway?"

Now, on the verge of Thanksgiving, San Diego goes on a five game win streak, including impressive victories over the New York Giants and Philadelphia Eagles. Phillip Rivers has come into his own and Kyle Orton is turning into Jay Cutler version 2.0. Let's be honest, by trading away Cutler, the Broncos lost their only chance at taking the AFC West away from the Chargers.

Oh well.

The Chargers played an excellent all around game this week, don't get me wrong. But seeing Marshall and Moreno get into it, McDaniels mouthing off to Charger linebackers, and Jay Cutler not doing much better in Chicago all overshadow the Chargers' performance.

Maybe San Diego has brought the Bermuda Triangle to Denver now. I'll wait for the Padres to prove me wrong.

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San Diego Chargers' Stylistic Changes Afford Team's Momentum

Paul Preibisius — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 02:58:29 -0500

Coming off the Raider win, the biggest concern for San Diego was not its record. At 4-3, the season still had plenty of space and time to go either way. The greater worry was how the team was looking during that first half. With no running game (and a stubborn insistence at running it the same way every game), and a passive defense that was giving up yardage at an alarming rate, this team looked like a shadow of itself.

Injured players returning to health has had some effect, but the biggest change in the team has come from the playcalling ideology. On offense, the team is running, but they are much less predictable in how they run, be it how or who. This was capped by 14 carries between Tolbert and Hester against the Broncos, something not even seen when Tomlinson was hurt.

Running the football over the last two weeks is an effort to move the chains and gain yards, from weeks two through 10 they were a way to keep defenses honest and open up play-action. Because they are putting yards on the ground, the team has opened up Rivers, whose yardage totals have dipped, but his passing percentage has skyrocketed because he no longer has to be the offense.

This change in running the football is only a few games old, and as much execution as playcalling, but the team’s alterations to its defense can be followed much easier. Since the team began riding its five-game winning streak, they have emphasized a much more aggressive approach, blitzing more often (they won’t be mistaken for the '08 Giants, but...) and putting opposing quarterbacks on their heels.

The interception total has ridden modestly (four in the first five games, six in the last), but the sack total has exploded (twenty against seven across that same time span).

Merriman’s health has helped somewhat, but I will put much more of this on the change in ideology. Ron Rivera started the season using the attack-based 3-4 formation in a passive coverage-based style that allowed teams to put points and yardage against the team at will.

His current emphasis on playing the 3-4 in a fashion reminiscent of the team’s under Wade Phillips, has allowed the team (one-and-a-half quarters against the Eagles aside) to push around opposing teams and force them into losses.

The team has always had talent, but one could not help but feel the team was underutilizing this talent early on. If Rivers did not connect on 40+ yard bombs to Jackson or Floyd, the team had no offense.

With so many versatile guys on both sides of the ball, the team finally seems to play to its strengths now, which is a big reason not just for a five game winning streak, but more importantly three consecutive wins against teams that are all now 6-4.

The only hope now is that the team continues to attack on defense and spread the wealth a bit in the running game. I feel if the evolving identity of the team continues down the path it is on, this will be a scary opponent in the playoffs and one no team wants to face.

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San Diego Chargers Charge into First Through Denver Bronco Blunders

Bowe Fertig — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 01:45:16 -0500

The Chargers week six dropped below .500 for the first time in the ’09 season at 2-3 after their heartbreaking loss to the Broncos. The Chargers had three months and 11 games to make up a 3 ½ game deficit but they achieved the feat in less than half that time.

In their first encounter at Qualcomm Stadium, the Broncos beat the Chargers in every aspect of the game. The Chargers took their four-game winning streak into Invesco Field and repaid the Broncos by controlling the tempo of the game and routing them 32-3.

The Broncos had very few things going for them when facing the Chargers week 10. The run game and home field advantage.

In the first drive of the game the Broncos ran the ball on the first seven plays for 42 yards and then on the eighth play Simms fumbled on his first drop back. The Chargers capitalize on a touchdown; the Broncos get the ball back and go three-and-out on three straight passes.

The Broncos only ran the ball 10 more times after running it on the first seven plays and kept the crowd out of the game all day.

In the hole down 13 points after two Nate Kaeding field goals, still with the game in reach, the Broncos make their biggest mistake of the game by bringing back Kyle Orton.

Yes Orton moved the ball, but the Broncos still got obliterated and there was no positive note for bringing back Orton and keeping him in the game. The move worsened Orton’s injury and affected Chris Simm’s confidence.

Josh McDaniels didn’t take history into account with Orton who was brought back too early last year after an ankle injury and played his worst ball down the stretch because of being brought back prematurely. Now the Broncos have a starting quarterback who is in worse condition than a week before and a back-up quarterback with no confidence and now have a big offensive task ahead of them on Thanksgiving at New York against the Giants.

Speaking of McDaniels bad first year moves. I am sure he learned another valuable lesson against the Chargers through speaking out of turn. Before the game the knucklehead in McDaniels told Charger players “that he owned them.” McDaniels got a taste of his own medicine and I am sure he won’t consciously do that again.

The Broncos couldn’t do anything right and the Chargers took advantage of it by controlling time of possession, 37:52 to 22:08, and rushing for 203 yards, the most this season in their biggest lopsided victory.

The Chargers are now 5-0 when Rivers throws below his average of pass attempts and have scored more than 30 points each time they crack the century mark in rushing yards.

Much of the success from the offense can be credited to the offensive line who are opening holes to run through and keeping the pressure off of Rivers.

Through the first five games of the season Rivers was sacked 15 times and in the last five games he has only been sacked five times and kept spotless last game. The running game has also benefited from the great play of the line after rushing for more than 100 yards in three out of the last five games.

The run has also been a contributor to Rivers success because now teams have to respect the run. The Chargers averaging the lowest total in rushing yards a few weeks ago, now are 20th in league averaging less than a yard fewer than 100.

In the last five games, Rivers has completed on average 69 percent of his passes compared to 59 percent through the first five and has thrown for better than 77 percent in his last two.

The offense has been rolling of late for the Chargers and the defense is following its lead sacking the quarterback 20 times in the last five games and having a leagues fifth best rushing defense allowing a tad over 80 yards per game.

To those who doubted the Chargers balance attack, 28 rushes for 203 yards and 22 passes for 145 yards sounds like a good balance attack to me. What perfect timing for my article last week on their underrated balanced attack .

The Chargers have two winnable games at home against Kansas City and on the road at Cleveland. Both teams won this past week with a few other unexpected wins so the Chargers could be in for tough games against the teams they are expected to beat, but as long as the Chargers can win the turnover ratio and control the clock, like they have been doing of late, they will go into Dallas at 9-3.

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Anthony Gwynn: A $12M Player?

Daniel Gettinger — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 00:18:01 -0500

This Article Originally Appeared on Friar Forecast

I was browsing the Padres page on Fangraphs this evening and came across something absolutely shocking: Fangraphs estimates Anthony Gwynn was worth $12.6M last season.

Gwynn’s value is not derived from the bat, where he was about two runs below average. Instead, it comes almost entirely from his fielding.

Gwynn’s UZR, in only 113 games was was 13.6, or 19.4/150 games. He was exceptional both in CF, as well as RF.

As usual when dealing with fielding statistics, it is important to keep in mind the small sample, but Gwynn appears to have been a good fielder during his time in Milwaukee as well. In 51 games with the Brewers (over the 2007 and 2008 seasons), Gwynn compiled a UZR of 4.4 (nearly 13/150 games).

In Tango’s fan’s scouting report, Gwynn does not rate nearly as highly, garnering a fairly average 3.63 mark. However, only 16 votes were cast for Gwynn, so it is tough to tell what to make of his score there.

I am not convinced Gwynn is truly such a great fielder. The sample we have on him is incredibly small, and I certainly never thought he looked outstanding in the outfield, but if he does in fact prove to be an excellent defender, Gwynn could be a nice fourth outfielder.

With his decent speed, ability to play all of the outfield positions well, and affordability, Gwynn could prove to have actual value, not just a great last name.

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San Diego Chargers Hitting the Right Notes

Paul Preibisius — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 20:15:47 -0500

The Chargers now five game winning streak has been great cause for optimism. With the Bengals laying an egg against Oakland, the team not only finds themselves back in the division lead a game ahead of the reeling Broncos, but now in a three way tie for that second seed, and the first round bye that accompanies it.

My faith in San Diego is growing in leaps and bounds, not because of the winning streak but how they have done it. My worry just after the last Raiders game (with the Chargers sitting at 4-3 and Denver at 6-1) was not the team’s capacity to win, but their capacity to win big games against big teams.

They had a solid final nine, with the Giants, Eagles, Denver (at the time still a force), Dallas (in the middle of their Miles Austin power-run), and Cinci. I figured they would need at least two of those game to earn a playoff spot, probably three to fight for the division.

They have already fulfilled the three of the five tough games criteria with their first three games, dropping the Giants and Eagles before thrashing Denver. Now they look at a run of the Chiefs (albeit with a little added swagger after the Pitt head scratcher), Browns, and Redskins mixed in with the much more human-looking variations of Dallas and Cinci.

In fact, I’d go out on a limb and say the most dangerous game is not going to be against either listed above, but the resurgent Titans fighting for respect.

On the team’s to do lists for me to really get excited over this team after week eight:

A. Defeat better than .500 team—Check, week nine Giants.

B. Put together back to back wins (I didn’t count the Chiefs/Raiders pair as such)—Check, weeks nine-11.

C. Come out take a lead and hold it—Check, somewhat week 10, more week 11.

D. Add some dimension to the team—Check as follows:

That dimension is what excites me. The team now proves they can get after an opposing team’s offense in a much more aggressive way (first five games- four picks, seven sacks; last five games- six picks, twenty sacks).

And now they are finally developing the running game. Ninety-six yards by LT was a start against the Eagles, but the Denver match, with its two hundred and three team yards rushing, showcased a missing element for the team. This was done by a method that I am somewhat baffled the team had not really pursued to this point: all four backs getting at least seven carries.

During LT’s injury and recovery the team tried to ride Sproles instead of platoon the remaining backs and spread the load. With LT still not as dynamic as he once was (his yardage totals have solidified but he still can’t seem to break that four yard a carry barrier).

The team gave him 20 carries, Sproles nine, and seven apiece to Hester and Tolbert. The lightning bug has continued his less than stellar season taking handoffs but Hester and Tolbert put up 6.6 and 8.3 yards per carry respectively. With a team lacking goal-line and short yardage punch, it is good to see the team trying out the rock in these guys’ hands (both of whom are much better suited to those frequent straight up the gut plays).

Rivers no longer has to do it all, and that will benefit the team in the long run. If they can continue to expound upon the improved running game and harass opposing offenses they will be able to start to run with some of the big teams in the playoffs.

As good as Rivers has been, I was not altogether confident that the team could go places on his arm alone. This team is not flawless, but no one is, especially this year, so good luck and go Chargers.

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